1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to operation of a matching service. Specifically, the invention relates to identifying and providing communication between people who are likely to have a successful relationship.
2. Background of the Invention
A matching service attempts to identify and bring together two or more people that the matching service believes may have a successful relationship. Many matching services identify matches by techniques that find people with common personalities, interests and/or beliefs. However, these matching techniques often do not account for the large number of variables that can determine whether a relationship is successful. Research has shown that the success of human relationships depends on complex interactions between a large number of variables including, but not limited to, personality, socioeconomic status, religion, appearance, ethnic background, energy level, education, interests and appearance. The large number of variables involved in determining relationship success has made predicting the success of a relationship to be very unreliable. Accordingly, matching services are unable to reliably predict relationship success and their clients are often disappointed with the results of their matches. As a result, there is a need for a method of matching people that accounts for the complexity of the relationships between the variables that determine relationship success.
After identifying candidates for a match, many matching services allow the candidates to communicate by telephone or by e-mail. Many people are not comfortable communicating with a new person in such an immediately open format. As a result, many people would be comfortable with a more gradual and less personal introduction to new people. Accordingly, there is a need for providing communication between matched candidates that is comfortable to the candidates.
The invention relates to the functions and operation of a matching service. The invention, embodied as a method, includes approximating the satisfaction that a user of the matching service has in the relationships that the user forms with others, and identifying candidates for a relationship with the user based on the approximated satisfaction. The method also includes approximating the satisfaction that the user will have in a relationship with a particular candidate.
The method can also include classifying the user based on the approximated satisfaction that the user will have in the relationships that user forms with others. Candidates for matching with the user are identified based on the classification of the user. The satisfaction that the user is likely to have in a relationship with each of the identified candidates is determined in order to identify the one or more candidates with whom the user is most likely to have a successful relationship.
Another method for operating a matching service according to this invention includes receiving a plurality of surveys completed by different users. Each survey includes a plurality of inquiries into matters that are relevant to formation of relationships with other people. At least a portion of the inquiries have answers that are associated with a number. The method also includes using answers which the individuals provide to the inquiries in a factor analysis to identify a plurality of factors. These factors are used to generate an individual satisfaction estimator.
In one embodiment, the invention also includes identifying the factors that most highly predict satisfaction in a relationship.
Still another embodiment of the invention includes inputting into a neural network information provided by a user of the matching service and receiving from the neural network a list of one or more candidates that the neural network has determined will be successful in a relationship with the individual.
Yet another embodiment of the invention includes identifying two parties for a relationship and providing a plurality of communication levels. Each communication level allows the parties to exchange information in a different format. The invention also includes allowing the parties to exchange information at one of the communication levels.
One example of a communication level allows the parties to exchange answer to one or more closed-ended questions written by the matching service. Another example of a communication level allows exchange of open-ended questions written by the matching service. Yet another example of a communication level allows exchange of items selected from a list created by the matching service.